Platinum or White Gold, What is the difference?
Most rings are made of either platinum, yellow gold or white gold.
White Gold-
All gold is yellow. That’s its natural color. White gold has simply been mixed with other alloys to make it look white. But over time it may lose its whiter color and turn a yellowish color. Which is why most white gold is electroplated with a precious metal called “rhodium”. The purpose of rhodium plating is to give white gold a whiter and brighter finish. Rhodium is also believed to add a somewhat harder surface to the gold, which may give white gold a higher resistance to scratching. Platinum, however, is a naturally occurring white metal.
In all fairness to gold, platinum may also develop a slightly dull look after normal wear. This dullness is known in the industry as a “patina” or slightly dull finish and may be removed by minor polishing.
The Markings or Hallmarks of Platinum-
The “hallmark” of the ring is intended to reveal the metal that makes up the ring and is typically stamped on the surface of the inside part of the ring. For instance, the markings that denote platinum may be: Platinum, Plat, Pt, Pt950, 950PT, 950Plat, Plat950, 900Pt, Pt900 and 900Plat.
Platinum the Purer Metal-
Platinum and gold engagement rings will always contain other metal alloys. The question is, how much gold or platinum are you getting in your ring? For instance- 950Platinum is 95% pure platinum and 5% alloy. 900Platinum is 90% pure platinum and 10% alloy.
Gold on the other hand is mixed accordingly- 18K gold is 75% pure gold and 25% alloy and 14K gold is approximately 58% pure gold and 42% alloy.
What is the rest of the ring made of? Platinum is commonly alloyed with one of three other precious metals from within the platinum metal group- iridium, ruthenium or cobalt. Because of these alloys, platinum in hypoallergenic.
Gold is usually alloyed with common metals like nickel, copper, zinc and or palladium. A good number of people may have allergic reactions to nickel in gold.
Rarity-
One measure of value is rarity. Platinum is one of the world’s rarest precious metals. According to industry sources, for every ten gold mines in the world, there is just one platinum mine. It is estimated that if all the platinum in the world were poured into an Olympic swimming pool it would be barely deep enough to cover your feet. Gold however, would fill more than three Olympic size pools. Platinum is 35 times more rare than gold. Every year, approximately 88 tons of platinum is made into jewelry compared to 2700 tons of gold.
Standing the test of time-
Some say platinum is the most durable precious metal and the perfect choice for a lifetime of everyday wear. Its density and weight make it more durable than other jewelry metals. It holds stones securely, and loses virtually no metal over time. Gold, on the other hand, wears down. Over time, white or yellow gold prongs may need to be reinforced to keep the stones secured.
Platinum is a dense metal and you can feel the difference. Platinum weighs 60% more than 14K gold.
Courtesy of Platinum Guild International, USA 2006
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